The proper use of today’s construction software has one wonderful benefit for those firms who get themselves fully engaged with it. It drives down costs! If anyone doubts that then ask someone in your office to do some sums for you! Tell them to work out how much it costs you to handle and then store the paperwork for one of your contracts! You’ll be staggered, I’m sure!
Right, so having cut down costs, that means that you can drop your tender prices and win more work! Having won more work what other benefits do you see from the new construction software?
Well I’d tend to say that the first of these is that your Head Office and the construction sites get connected more closely. Whatever is happening on site, which gets put onto your new construction software, just pops up on your screen. This gives a far closer and more immediate oversight than having to go out to the sites. Those visits are still necessary of course but with the new construction software people know what to create a fuss about before they arrive on site!
Linked to closer connection with head Office is that everyone connected with any project is more closely connected with it! Clients, PQS, Architects and Consultants, Subbies; everyone knows what is going on and, consequently, the “what, where and when” is required of themselves.
Now there is a down-side to making full and efficient use of new construction software! For it to be really effective rather than just a trendy fad, money does have to be spent! That money has to be spent on paying someone to produce a detailed Build Programme worth having! Make no mistake; that is a vital project document! If a firm doesn’t have them to use in keeping track of progress on their projects they usually end up going to the wall! I know these things; I’ve rescued enough projects – and firms – that had been started without one in times gone by!
Now with that Build Programme any potential cause of delay will be identified sooner and corrective action can be taken. The delays which constitute a “drama” are those of Tasks which lie on the Critical Path. With your new construction software everyone knows in good time and can come up with solutions!
Now the ones who really like having a Build Programme to look at are the skilled tradesmen! They are a bunch of posers and what they like to do is cross off their own Tasks as completed before the Programme says they needs to be! What does that mean? It means that your projects are accelerated beyond what you had programmed! And what does that mean?
It means you get off site early, before the contractual completion date, saving even more on the site overhead costs that you had tendered for! That sneaks up your profit margins on the tenders won!
It also means that with less hassle coming back into the Head Office that you save on overhead costs, too!
Now for the final reason firms are being driven to implement . What construction Clients want is for their projects to finish on time, to standard and to budget. If a construction firm does that for them once they will almost certainly come back to the same construction firm for their next job! They are what are known technically as “delighted clients”!